Arsenal are confident of signing Mesut Ozil to finally end their summer of difficulty in the transfer market, and have offered Real Madrid what would be a club record bid of €47 million for the playmaker. Arsene Wenger also hopes to still bring in a profile centre-forward.

The pursuit of Gareth Bale has dramatically changed the dynamics at the Bernabeu, and has left the popular Ozil concerned about his status in the team. Despite a previous position as one of president Florentino Perez's most admired players - as well as a crowd favourite - he was left on the bench as an unused substitute in Real’s 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Sources have also said that manager Carlo Ancelotti sees Ozil as dispensable with the introduction of Bale, and preferred to keep Angel Di Maria - who had been expected to leave.

The German international has himself been angling for a move for the last month, with his camp even making contact with Manchester United. Although the English champions turned down the chance to buy Ozil, sources have said they have retained some interest but are unlikely to act on it.

Arsenal’s only serious competition instead comes from Paris Saint-Germain, who have been pushing hard for the purchase, but it is understood Ozil himself would prefer the move to the Emirates.

As well as breaking the club’s transfer record, the prospective signing would represent the high-profile move that many at Arsenal have felt they needed, after failures in the pursuits of Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain.

It is also known that Wenger wants to bring in a centre-forward and goalkeeper, with Arsenal close to a loan deal for Palermo’s Emiliano Viviano.

"I'm ready to pay what we can afford, even if it's a bit over the mark, as long as it's not crazy," Wenger said.

"I'm not against spending but I want to add super quality to our squad. With 24 more hours maybe we can surprise you, maybe not.

"You will tell me that I'm always confident and I've delivered very little until now, but I'm confident, yes. Tottenham got a lot of money for Gareth Bale and they have to invest it, I can understand that, but the need is different for us. We need one or two super players and we've tried to add that."

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror reports Arsenal may have to sign off on a loan deal if they are to secure Ozil, as the German is unsure about making a move to the Premier League permanent.